A wild final week of the regular season culminating with a couple of great tournaments led to plenty of shakeup at the top of the final VSN/GeauxPreps Volleyball Power 25 (Presented by K Miller Gems and Jewelry Brokerage) of the season. When the ghosts and goblins had settled, St. Michael with a 6-0 week and 35-2 overall record received seven of the possible nine first-place votes and enter the LHSAA State Tournament as the No.1 ranked team in the state.
“What a privilege and honor to be voted as No.1,” said Latashia Wise-Jackson the first-year coach of St. Michael. “I couldn’t be more proud of this team. Our philosophy going into the playoffs is same as it’s been all year, keep turning the page and working together.”
Dominican beat No.1 MCA and made it all the way to the Gold Division Finals at ESA’s Spooktacular Tournament finished ranked No.2 and received one first-place vote.
St. Thomas More is the team that beat Dominican in the Gold Division Finals at Spooktacular and on the heels of 12 straight wins, jump up three spots at No.3 and received the other first-place vote.
Mt Carmel lost twice this week, first in a five-set war with rival Dominican, then had a road trip to Baton Rouge scheduled the following day where they lost to a very strong Parkview Baptist team. The Volley Cubs finish the regular season at No.4.
Slidell remains No.5 after a pair of Power 25 wins to close out the regular season.
The biggest jump in the poll came from St Joseph’s who proved worthy of getting back into Power 25 last week, and had a strong 6-1 week to close out the season with 3 Power 25 wins (Dunham, EDW, WCA) and moved up six spots to No.16.
1. St Michael 35-2 (6-0 week)…,Wins vs Glen Oaks and Denham Springs (both 3-0)…4-0 at Dunham Tournament including wins vs No.14 Northshore and No.20 NLC.. Power 25 wins this season: 16
2. Dominican 36-5 (5-1 week)…Started the week with a 5-set win vs No.1 Mt Carmel and 3-0 vs Riverdale…3-1 at ESA’s Spooktacular with wins vs No.16 WCA, Sam Houston, and Notre Dame….Lost 2-0 to No.6 STM in the Gold Finals …Power 25 wins this season: 18
3. St Thomas More 36-5 (6-0 week)…Win vs David Thibodaux (3-0)…5-0 at Spooktacular (didn’t lose a set) winning Gold Division Finals vs No.3 Dominican, won Semis vs No.19 Teurlings Catholic, also wins vs No.22 St Joe’s, Vandebilt, and Highland Baptist….currently riding a 12-match win streak…Power 25 wins this season: 17
4. Mt Carmel 35-5 (1-2 week)….Lost at No.3 Dominican 3-2 (22-25, 18-25, 25-20, 26-24, 12-15)…Lost at No.9 Parkview Baptist the next day 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 24-26, 17-25)…Finished regular season with a 3-0 win at Chalmette…Power 25 wins this season: 17
5. Slidell 31-7 (2-0 week)….Wins vs No. 17 Fontainebleau and No.20 Northlake Christian (both 3-0)..Power 25 wins this season: 14
6. Hannan 32-10 (4-1 week)… Win vs Sacred Heart (3-0)…3-1 at Dunham Tournament with wins vs No.10 SSA, Ben Franklin, and Denham Springs…Lost to No.12 Dunham….Power 25 wins this season: 14
7. Parkview Baptist 29-10 (5-1 week)…Win vs No.1 Mt Carmel (3-1) and Glen Oaks (3-0)…Then went 3-1 in Spooktacular with wins vs CHNI (Silver Division Finals), Sam Houston, Assumption…Lost to No.16 WCA 2-1…Finish the regular season by winning 18 of their final 19 matches…Power 25 wins this season: 12
8. Country Day 24-11 (2-1 week)…Win vs Assumption (3-1)…Lost to No.14 Northshore 3-0 (13-25, 20-25, 20-25)…Win vs Cabrini 3-0 to close out regular season…Power 25 wins this season: 9
9. Haynes 27-6 (2-1 week)…Lost to AOL 3-0 (22-25, 17-25, 18-2)…Wins vs Kennedy and Kenner Discovery…Power 25 wins this season: 5
10. Dunham 30-10 (4-1 week)… .Win vs Destrehan 3-0…Lost to No.22 St Joe’s 3-1…3-0 at Dunham Tournament with wins vs No.4 Hannan (2-1), Riverside, and Thomas Jefferson…Power 25 wins this season: 8
11. U-High 29-3 (4-0 week)…Wins vs Catholic PC, Port Allen, Central BR, and West Feliciana… Power 25 wins this season: 3
12. SSA 25-10 (3-2 week)….Win vs Christ Episcopal….2-2 at Dunham Tournament including wins for No.14 Northshore and Ponchatoula…Lost to No.4 Hannan (2-1) and No.24 Dutchtown (2-0)…Power 25 wins this season: 9
13. Northshore 27-11 (4-2 week)…Wins vs No.7 Country Day and Ponchatoula (Both 3-0)…2-2 at Dunham Tournament with wins vs De La Salle and Riverside…lost to No.2 St Michael and No.10 SSA …Power 25 wins this season: 10
14. E.D. White 26-11 (4-2 week)….Win vs rival Vandebilt (3-0)…3-2 at Spooktacular with wins vs Barbe, Assumption, and Ascension Episcopal…Lost to No.16 WCA and No.22 St Joe’s (Gold Consolation Finals)…Power 25 wins this season: 10
15. Westminster (Opelousas) 32-9 (3-2 week) Win vs Catholic PC…2-2 at Spooktacular with wins vs No.9 Parkview Baptist (snapping PBS’s 15-match win streak) and No.13 EDW…Lost to No.3 Dominican and No.22 St Joe’s…Power 25 wins this season: 4
16. St Joeseph’s 21-12 (6-1 week)….Wins vs No.12 Dunham (3-1) and Baton Rouge…4-1 at Spooktacular winning Gold Division Consolation with wins vs No.13 EDW (Finals) and No.16 WCA (Semis), PJP, and ESA…lost to No.6 STM 2-0 (22-25, 21-25)…Power 25 wins: 9
17. John Curtis 27-12 (2-0 week)….Wins vs Thomas Jefferson and Berwick (Both 3-0)…Power 25 wins this season: 5
18. Newman 24-9 (2-0 week)….Wins vs Berwick (3-0) and No.24 Dutchtown 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-18)…Power 25 wins this season: 4
19. Fontainebleau 28-16 (3-2 week)….Lost to No.5 Slidell (3-0) and Mandeville (3-2)…3-0 at Dunham Tournament…Wins vs No.20 NLC, Thomas Jefferson, and Ursuline…Power 25 wins this season: 8
20. Northlake Christian 26-13 (3-3 week)…Lost to No.5 Slidell (3-0)…Win vs Pearl River (3-0)…2-2 at Dunham Tournament with wins vs Central Private and De La Salle…Lost to No.17 Fontainebleau and No.2 St Michael…Power 25 wins this season: 3
21. Teurlings Catholic 24-12 (4-2 week) Win vs Comeaux (3-0)….Loss to Notre Dame (3-1)…3-1 at Spooktacular with wins vs Southside, WCA-Lafayette, and Barbe…Lost to No.6 STM 2-0 (22-25, 21-25)… Power 25 wins this season: 2
22. Dutchtown 26-12 (6-1 week) Wins vs Live Oak and Episcopal (both 3-0)…Lost to No.18 Newman 3-1…4-0 at Dunham Tournament with wins vs No.10 SSA, No.21 Chapelle, Ruston, and Ben Franklin…Power 25 wins: 5
23. Central Catholic 23-5 (2-0 week)….Wins vs CHNI 3-2 (25-13, 25-19, 23-25, 17-25, 15-13) and Patterson… Power 25 wins this season: 1
24. Chapelle 24-15 (4-1 week)…Win vs Bonnabel and Cabrini (3-0)…2-1 at Dunham Tournament with wins vs Ponchatoula and Ruston…lost to No.22 Dutchtown 2-0…East Jeff…Power 25 wins this season: 3
25. C.E. Byrd 33-7 (3-0 week) Wins vs Northwood-Shreve, Airline, and Captain Shreve (all 3-0)…Power 25 wins this season: 2
Others top vote getters
26. AOL 35-3 (3-0 week)…Beat No.6 Haynes 3-0…won their last 8 and 26 of their last 27…No.3 in Div 2 Power Rankings…Played 4 Power 25s in regular season and went 2-2 with wins vs No.8 Haynes and No.21 Chapelle…Lost to No.3 Dominican and No.22 SJA…
27. Southside 20-7 (5-2 week)…Finished No.6 in Division I Power Rankings…went 1-5 vs Power 25s…Season Opening win vs No.16 WCA…Losses to No.6 STM (twice), No.10 SSA, No.19 Teurlings Catholic, and No.23 Central Catholic
Sacred Heart, Natchitoches Central